Asked what might have happened, she pointed to "two early hypotheses" -- namely, that a fire on board the plane incapacitated everyone through smoke or fumes, or that a rapid decompression, perhaps because of a breach in a window, led to their deaths hours before the plane ran out of fuel and spiraled downward.

"The wreckage showed that what you would have extended -- the landing flaps -- were not extended in the final moments of the flight, so no one was planning to land the plane on water," said Schiavo, a former US Department of Transportation inspector general.

The magazine quoted a leaked document from an FBI investigation that showed deleted files had been recovered from Zaharie's home-built flight simulator.

They reportedly revealed he had plotted a course into the deep southern Indian Ocean -- a course that closely matched the final flight MH370 is thought to have taken. Investigators said the simulator files had been created just weeks before the jet disappeared, according to the document.

The confidential document, whose contents were not independently confirmed by CNN, summarized the Malaysian police investigation into Zaharie.

In an email to CNN that same month, Joint Agency Coordination Center spokesman Scott Mashford said, "The MH370 captain's flight simulator showed someone had plotted a course to the southern Indian Ocean." The Australian agency is directing the search for MH370.

But the minister added there was no evidence to prove that Zaharie had piloted the aircraft to the southern Indian Ocean, Bernama reported, saying "the simulator was used by the pilot for trial and error in many areas. There are thousands of simulations to many destinations."

Malaysia Airlines flight 370 disappeared on March 8, 2014. As of October 2016, authorities have definitively linked three pieces of debris to the plane, while four other pieces are believed to "almost certainly" come from the missing aircraft. A flaperon from a Boeing 777 was found on Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean in July 2015. Authorities later confirmed the debris came from MH370.

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Photos:MH370 debris

Two pieces of debris were found in Mozambique, in December 2015 and February 2016. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) said both pieces "almost certainly" came from the missing plane.

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An examination of stenciling and other identifiable features were used to link the debris to MH370.

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Two more pieces of debris, found in March 2016, were also deemed to have "almost certainly" come from MH370, according to the ATSB.

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One piece is believed to be from the plane's Rolls Royce engine, while the other matched a Boeing 777 interior closet panel.

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A piece of aircraft debris found in Tanzania in June 2016 and transported to Australia. The country's Infrastructure and Transport minister said it was confirmed as coming from MH370 in September 2016.

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A left outboard flap trailing edge section found on the island of Mauritius in May 2016. In October, it was confirmed as coming from MH370.

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So far, 110,000 square kilometers (42,000 square miles) have been covered as part of the underwater search for MH370, with the hunt currently due to conclude at 120,000 square kilometers (46,000 square miles).

"Where they're looking is still the area where everyone agrees that's where the plane is," aviation expert Thomas said, adding there were slight disagreements in opinion.

"(But) we're only talking about small increments -- just variations as to exactly, precisely where it could be."

Australian Transport Minister Darren Chester said at a press conference Wednesday the new report confirmed that search crews had been combing the right area.

"To have not found the aircraft at this stage is frustrating for everyone involved and particularly for the families of the passengers and crew," Chester said.

MH370 search meeting begins in Australia

The report came as officials from Malaysia, China and Australia and experts from the United States and United Kingdom met in Canberra, Australia, to discuss the ongoing search.

"They are reviewing all the available data and associated analysis, assumptions and modeling undertaken to inform the definition of the search area," Australian Transport Safety Bureau communication officer Dan O'Malley told CNN on Wednesday.

Thomas said there had been suggestions the meeting may decide to extend the search for MH370 beyond the current search zone.

"It's an opportunity to gather the experts from around the world to look at the available information, to exchange ideas," Chester said. "It's an opportunity for just a full assessment of how the underwater search is being carried out and a reassessment."